Jose Mourinho could lose Manchester United deal over Chelsea naming rights

Chelsea’s ownership of the copyright to Jose Mourinho’s name is one of several rights issues delaying his appointment as Manchester United manager, according to Sky sources.

Mourinho is understood to have agreed personal terms to succeed the sacked Louis van Gaal at Old Trafford, and his agent Jorge Mendes has all-but finalised the deal during face-to-face talks in London with Manchester United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward.

Lawyers are now meeting to resolve complications over image rights, and one of these is believed to be Chelsea’s ownership of the trademark to ‘Jose Mourinho’, despite Chelsea sacking him last December.